One Wok, One Pot, One Pan: Lemon and curry leaf rice with herb-roasted chicken

(serves 4)

Lemon and curry leaf rice adapted from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi

Herb-roasted chicken by Paul Bogg

This amazingly fragrant rice dish was a great discovery from Ottolenghi's book, such a great combination and so easy and simple! I don't know how curry leaves do it, but they are so aromatic! Steaming rice in the oven was a new experience for me as i am of the Chinese generation that has only ever known rice cooked by a rice-cooker! I think this could probably be adapted to a rice cooker actually, but it was a bit of fun in the oven and looks so fancy! :)

The herb chicken was actually prepared by Paul, who generously shared his tips on how to perfectly roast chicken without allowing the meat to dry out! Feeling privileged to be married to such a good chicken-making man! :)

Prep time: 10 min (chicken, an hour in advance) + 20 min (rice)

Cooking time: 60 min

Ingredients
Curry rice
400g basmati rice
5 short cinnamon sticks
10 cloves
shaved rind of 1 lemon
1 T lemon juice
3 stems fresh curry leaves (about 25-30 leaves) + extra 15 leaves or so for garnish
30g unsalted butter
salt and pepper

Herb chicken
1x 1kg whole chicken (probably would need a bigger bird if feeding more than 2 people)
15g butter
10g tarragon (3 stems, leaves removed)
5g lemon thyme
3 slices wholegrain bread
1 tsp mixed herbs

Method
1. Prepare the chicken at least 1hr before roasting. Finely chop the lemon thyme and tarragon. Melt the butter and combine with half the herbs.

2. Use one finger and loosely bring the skin away from the flesh on the chicken, creating a gap for the herb butter. Gently massage the herb butter into this space all around the chicken. Sit for one hour covered in the fridge.
NB. The butter under the skin helps to keep the chicken moist during roasting, and adds flavour of course!

3. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
4. Remove the chicken from the fridge and combine the remaining herbs with olive oil, salt and pepper and rub over the skin.
5. Blend the bread and herbs together and stuff into the backside of the chicken. Roast for 50-60 minutes until golden brown on the outside and check with a knife that the chicken is cooked through.

6. Meanwhile, wash the basmati rice and soak in water for 15 minutes.
7. Put the cinnamon sticks, cloves, lemon rind, curry leaves, 1.5 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp pepper in a medium saucepan. Cover with 680mL of water and place on high heat. Remove from the heat once the water boils.

8. Spread the rice out in an ovenproof dish or roasting tray, approximately 24x30cm, cover with the boiled water and spices and stir well. Lay a piece of greaseproof paper over the surface of the water and cover the whole dish with foil. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes, then remove and leave to sit, covered for 8-10 minutes.
NB. Make sure you seal well with foil so the moisture stays in and steams the rice!

9. Just before serving, melt a small portion of butter in a small saucepan, then add the curry leaves and fry until crisp. Remove and set aside. Melt the remaining butter and add in the lemon juice and swirl together to mix.
10. Remove the cinnamon, lemon peel and cloves from the cooked rice, then pour the lemon juice and butter mixture over the rice and fluff it up with fork.